Golf gloves



B. B. ROMEO June 26, 1956 GOLF GLOVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28,1954 INVENTOR.

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AMP/YE) B. B. ROMEO GOLF GLOVES June 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJune 28, 1954 United States Patent GOLF GLOVES Benjamin B. Romeo, MountVernon, N. Y. Application June 28, 1954, Serial No. 439,610 7 Claims.(Cl. 2-161) This invention relates to golf gloves.

The golf glove of the instant invention is usable in ordinary play butit is particularly useful as a golf training glove. Thus, itsconstruction is such as to enable the player to maintain a firm,accurate, and unwavering grip upon the club throughout the extent of theswing. Other advantages of the instant glove include means to maintainthe proper disposition of the third and fourth fingers of the hand onthe club shaft; the provision of means to insure the proper positioningof the entire hand on the club shaft; the correct spacing of the thumbfrom the index or first finger when the hand iswrapped around the clubshaft; and means to facilitate the correct application of the well-knowninterlocking grip to the club shaft.

The above mentioned objects are realized by particular formation of theglove as will be pointed out hereinafter, reference being now made tothe following drawings in which:

Figure l is a view illustrating the wearing of the glove by a player,the player being shown gripping the club shaft;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the glove as worn and before itis locked in folded position on the players hand;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating the rear of theglove;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a view illustrating the wearing of a modified embodiment ofthe glove;

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of the modified glove as worn;

Figure 8 is a rear elevational view of the modified glove; and

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 9-9 of Figure8.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, the glove is provided with a front face 10and a rear face 11, which form the body of the glove and include thepalm portion thereof. As is well known, the stalls of the thumb andsucceeding or first two fingers are cut off or truncated so that thefingers protrude therefrom. However, the stalls of the last two fingersare joined together and are integral with extension 12 which comprisestwo elongated, rectangular sections sewn together at their outside edgesand along a central line 13 so as to effectively divide the extension 12into two hollow, parallel longitudinal sections 14 and 15. The length ofextension 12 including the stalls thereof is about six inches. The free,extreme outer end of extension 12 is provided with a plurality of claspfasteners 16 arranged in triangular formation and complementary to theclasp fastener 17 formed on the wrist portion 18. The purpose of suchformation is to conveniently adjust the effective size of the glove inits locked position as will hereinafter appear. In addition,complementary clasp fasteners 16a and 17a are provided to firmly secureor lock a golf club shaft against the palm, fastener 16a being disposedapproximately centrally of the extension and fastener 17a being in thepalm portion. For purposes of clarity, the fingers succeeding the thumbare herein referred to as the first, second, third and fourth fingersrespectively.

A considerable advantage exists in the connection of the thumb stall 19to the body of the glove. This conneetion is effected by means of thehorizontal strip or thumb gusset 20 which in the first embodiment, issewn across the front face of the glove. Strip 20 extends outwardly ofthe main body of the glove as illustrated in Figure 3 and the line ofstitching 21 connects to the thumb stall and is disposed so as to serveas a guide for positioning the hand on the club shaft as willhereinafter appear. Furthermore, the strip 20 provides a limit foroutward movement of the thumb which further serves to insure correctpositioning of the thumb on the shaft.

In using the glove, the player first puts it on and grasps the clubshaft whereupon he may snap the desired clasps 16 and 17 and thereafterthe complementary clasps 16a and 17a to firmly hold down or lock thethird and fourth fingers and club shaft against the palm as illustratedin Figure 1.

It has been found that the fourth finger sometimes tends to fold withinthe third finger and to prevent this I optionally provide a plug 22which is sewn within extension section 15 so as to help maintain suchsection 15 properly aligned in respect to section 14 without bucklingthereunder. Thus, the plug 22 tends to bear against the third finger andmaintains the correct, parallel position of the extension section 15 andtherefor of the fourth finger. Plug 22 is simply a wad of fibrousmaterial having a cover which is sewn in place and is useful but notnecessary in the use of the glove.

When the user grasps the club shaft with the left hand, he can employthe line 21 in radially aligning his hand with the top longitudinalcenter of the club shaft, the line 21 being substantially parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the glove or parallel to any of the fingerstalls. Thus, when the club normally rests on the ground, a line may bedrawn on the shaft along its upper extent which indicates the centerline of the shaft from the top to the club head thereof. This line willbe normally the topmost line of the shaft along its length as the clubrests normally in the players hand. The player then turns his closedhand along the club shaft until the line 20 is in alignment with theshaft center line. In this way, he will insure that his hand iscorrectly radially placed on the shaft.

It is further of considerable importance to limit any outward movementof the thumb so as to avoid the common mistake of encircling the clubshaft between the first finger and the thumb. I have determined that thegreatest effective transverse length of the thumb stall 19 including theoutwardly extending length of member 20 should be approximately 2".Thus, the thumb should not extend more than two inches from theremainder of the hand and, if the player extends his thumb to thefullest extent in the glove of the instant invention, as he should do,it will be the required distance from his hand so as to avoid encirclingthe club shaft.

The glove has still another function in that it facilitates theapplication of the interlocking grip to the club shaft. Thus, a strip 23is sewn across the rear of the stalls of the first and second fingers.The strip 23 is slightly loose so as to permit a maximum separation ofabout .4;" between the two stalls. This effectively permits the fourthfinger of the right hand to be inserted into the space 24 between suchfirst and second fingers of the left hand whereupon the fourth finger ofthe right hand will be effectively held within such space by the strip23 so as to hold said fourth finger there and discourage itsdisplacement during the swing.

Patented June 26, 1956 Referring now to Figures 6 to 9, a modifiedembodiment is shownwhich in general serves the purposes of the mainembodiment but is even further improved. Thus, the modified glove isprovided witha front face 30 and a rear face 31, the front faceincluding the palm portion V stall 34. Extension 33 is formed with aclasp fastener 35 which is complementary to the clasp fastener 36." andserves the same purpose as clasp fasteners 16a and 17a of the previousembodiment.

The rear face of the joined finger stalls 31 and 32 is provided with apair of clasp fasteners 37 and 38, the clasp 33 being higher than theclasp 37'. The inside face of: extension 33 is provided with two pairsof clasp fasteners 32 and either pair of which may be secured. tofasteners 37 and 38 for adjusting the effective size of the glove. Theclasp fastener 41 mates with the fastener 42; for closing the glove at the wris,t as is conventional.

Meansare p ovided in the modified glove for limiting outward movement ofthe thumb stall as well as provid ing a: guide line as in the previousembodiment. Thus, strip or gussett 43, connects the body of the glove tothe thumb stall and limits outward movement thereof. At the same time,strip 43 is provided with. a substantially by the thumb. All thesefactors result in a glove by which the hand may be properly placed onthe club shaft and maintained against accidental or any kind ofdisplacement thereof due to the swinging action. Accordingly, the playeris educated into assuming the proper position and maintaining suchposition and even when be thereafter decides to do without the glove, hewill benefit by its instructional advantages.

What is claimed is: v

1. A golf glove comprising a body including a palm portion, a wristportion, and finger stalls for the four fingers and the thumb, saidfinger stalls for the third and central; and longitudinal line 44 whichserves as a guide 7 line s uch as line 2 1 of the previous embodiment.

The glove of the modified embodiment achieves substantially the sameresults as in the previous embodiment but in more desirable form in manyrespects. The player first puts it on and grasps the club shaftwhereupon he snaps either of the snap fastener pairs 39 or 46 to thesnapfasteners37 and 33 so as to hold the third and fourth fingerstallsin folded position. As in the previous embodiment, clasp fastener isdisposed substantially centrally of the extension and it is then snappedover 'fastener36, sothat the. club shaft is firmly retained orlocked.

When the thumb is stretched outwardly to its maximumextent, it will befound that the strip or gusset 43' maintains it properly spaced from theglove body anddis- Cour-ages the encircling of the club shaft. The handmay, thenbe rotated around the club shaft until the line 4dis, inalignment with an imaginary line 45 representing theuppermosttop line ofthe club shaft when it is resting normally on the. ground. 7 I

The glove of the second embodiment has a further utility in. that. aftera period of time, the player may feel thatthe training glove is nolonger necessary and he will find iteasy id m the extension 33 oh thusrendering the glove substantially conventional in appearance andfunction. However, it will be obvious that instead of being stitched atits lower. end jointly to the wrist portion and the thumb stall, the.extension 33 may be fastened theretov by snap fasteners so as. to be.easily removable. It mayalsobenoted that if desired, rubberized grippingmaterial such as Snug-Tex can be sewn to the insideof thelthird orfourth finger'stalls to enhancev the club oan -se I t has been foundthat both embodiments of the glove oftheinstant invention areveryeffective in maintaining the third and fourth fingers of the left handfirmly on the club shaft throughout the swing, the complementary palmportion andcxtension center clasps contributing to this result. Theglove is of considerable and possibly even greater utility in providingfor proper alignment of the hand on the club shaft by means of the thumbgusset guide line. The limitation of outward movement Ofihe thumb stall-further insures against undesirable encircling action fourth fingersbeing joined, an extension strip connected at a lower end thereof to thewrist portion of the glove, a plurality of clasp fasteners on the other,end of the strip, and complementary clasp fasteners on the rear side ofsaid third and fourth finger stalls and adapted to be engaged by saidextension end fasteners for maintaining said third and fourth fingerstalls in a folded position clasp fastener on the inside face of saidextension strip and substantially centrally thereof and an additionalclasp fastener which is complementary thereto on the palm 7 7 portionwhereby a club shaft may be locked between the folded fingers andagainst said palm portion;

3. A golf glove comprising a body including a palm portion, a wristportion, and finger stalls for the four fingers and the thumb, thefinger stalls for the third and fourth fingers being joined, extensionmeans for said third and fourth finger stalls and adapted to hold saidthird and fourth finger stalls in folded position against said palmportion, means connecting one end of said extension means to said wristportion, a fastener element on said extension means disposedapproximately centrally of: the length thereof, a complementary fastenerelement on said palm portion, and a strip connecting an 7 upper portionof said thumb stall to said body so as to limit the outward movement ofsaid thumb stall relative to said body.

4. A golf glove according to claim 3 and wherein said thumb stall istruncated, said horizontal strip being connected to the extreme upperend of the truncated thumb stall, the connection extending downwardlyfrom said 7 A golf glove according to claim 6 and includinga Whorizontal strip connected" across the first and" second finger stallsand permitting a spacing between said stalls,

said horizontal stripbeing connected across the upper,

ends of saidfirst and second finger stalls so as to permit the fourthfinger of the oppositehand' of the user to be inserted between saidfirst and second finger stalls and under said secondhorizontal strip,and additionalfastener elements on said extension means, all off saidfastener 7 elements on said extension means being arrangedfin triangularformation, and" a wad of material fixedly com nected within the fourthfinger stall and adapted to be met by the fourth finger of the usershand so as to effectively constitute a continuation of said; fourthfinger,

in the stall;

References Cited in the file of this patent STATES uso zzr Weile: l -cSept. .28, 192.6; 2,085, 94. Hay June:15,.1937" pell .--l---,-b;24;19482 2,5 10,2131; Goldsmith. ct a1... ,Jun..e 25Q1

